Open-source biotechnology

Posted Apr 1, 2010 12:00 UTC (Thu) by nye (subscriber, #51576)
In reply to: Open-source biotechnology by rwmj
Parent article: Open-source biotechnology

Basic research in every other field is considered patentable. I guess geneticists wanted in on the monopolisation action.

Open-source biotechnology

Posted Apr 1, 2010 18:51 UTC (Thu) by sfeam (subscriber, #2841) [Link] (1 responses)

Basic research in every other field is considered patentable. I guess geneticists wanted in on the monopolisation action.

Say what? Are there patent applications pending on the latest round of elementary particles? Is someone raking in licensing profits from Truth, Beauty, and Charm [O.K, those might fall under copyright law instead, as brand names for the generic top/bottom/...].

Pre-existing algorithms revealed by the study of nature deserve even less eligibility for patenting than algorithms embodied in computer code or business methods.

Then again, maybe these are April 1 patent applications.

Open-source biotechnology

Posted Apr 2, 2010 13:14 UTC (Fri) by nye (subscriber, #51576) [Link]

Okay, I take back 'every' and replace it with 'most'.

Certainly large areas of mathematics, chemistry, and biology, plus obviously the social sciences. In fact there *are* patents on physical phenomena - quantum mechanics appears to be infested with them.